


december 14th: the best accident

by watergator



Series: december fic advent 2019 [14]
Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-14
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:34:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21795418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/watergator/pseuds/watergator
Summary: prompt: surprisea cat finds its way inside dan and phil's bathroom
Relationships: Dan Howell/Phil Lester
Series: december fic advent 2019 [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1559341
Comments: 10
Kudos: 106





	december 14th: the best accident

When he wakes, he feels a headache behind his eyes. He squeezes them shut, tighter than what they already are, as if it may help the situation.

In all his thirty something years of having these bursting headaches he’d think he’d have some understanding on how to control them; how to know when they’re coming and what works best to help ease that untouchable pain in his skull.

But still. He wakes up and the headache is there, as if it has sprouted legs and plonked itself on top of his brain.

Right now, the little headache monster he’d somehow managed to personify was reaching over and picking both his eyes with a long, horrid finger.

Phil groans, something deep and throaty and rolls over to bury his head into the softness of his pillow.

“Draw the blinds, Dan,” he grumbles, voice muffled and sleepy still.

There’s no sign of movement and so after asking a second time, he braves himself to roll over again and crack open a poorly eye.

He’s greeted with thin air.

There’s no Dan laying next to him and the blinds are drawn, letting in just a small sliver of light that escapes the bottom.

He groans, flinging an arm over his eyes rather dramatically as he recalls the conversation late last night about Dan heading up to Reading after a wobble with his nana.

She’d been alright, just a small little fall that had landed her in the hospital, but Dan had booked a last minute train ticket last night to go make sure she was settled in at home okay.

He pats the empty side of the bed as if it’d make it magically less empty.

Had Dan really left without saying goodbye?

Or was the blurry dream-like moment playing over in his head, one of Dan leaning over, whispering ” _ I love you”  _ before kissing his cheek and leaving, actually something that happened this morning?

Either way, Dan was gone, his head was throbbing and he was determined to stay miserable until he returned to make him feel better.

*

He eventually gets out of bed. He spends the morning texting Dan, reprimanding him for not giving him a proper goodbye for the whole two days he’d be gone for.

Dan doesn’t seem to be having any of it though.

dan: i literally kissed u and said goodbye!!!!! what more do u want from me man!

phil: More kisses and for you to be here :( How’s nana btw?

dan: ur dumb. she’s doing great. i’m winning grandson of the year 

phil: In that case come home soon and win boyfriend of the year by nursing me and my poor migraine :(

He gets a plethora of heart emojis to follow as well as instructions on how to take care of himself. It’s a little suffocating in the way that Dan thinks Phil doesn’t know he should drink plenty of water or rest, but Phil loves Dan too much to care.

He’ll happily let Dan smother him with love.

*

As per Dan’s instructions he decides to have a shower after breakfast. The hot water and the steam might clear his head a little.

Besides, he’s feeling sweaty and gross with the heating blasted up to the highest notch.

It’s a small luxury Phil likes to indulge in once Dan’s not home. He’ll come home and complain of sweaty knees and turn it back down again.

It’s a constant battle.

Phil opens the window and strips off his clothes

A few years of living in this penthouse apartment had been able to give him a peace of mind about showering with the window open as well as letting the nudist in him become awakened.

And he’s not well, so he’ll do as he pleases.

He takes his time under the spray, massaging his head, pretending it’s Dan doing it for him, and uses half the bottle of the fancy shower gel they have, just because it smells incredible.

The hot water does help a little with his head; melting away the tension and build up he has. His shoulders relax and he lets himself stand, free and calm as water cascades down his body, little droplets of warmth roll down his skin, touching him to his very core.

He’s as reluctant to get out as much as he was to get in, but he wraps a towel around his naked body and makes careful steps across the floor, minding himself not to slip and die.

He throws some comfy clothes on, loose pyjamas that’ll give him comfort as well as warmth and heads back to the bathroom to grab his comb for the mess that is his hair.

He’s picking at a loose thread on the bottom of his t-shirt when he looks up and yelps.

There’s a cat in his bathroom.

They stare at one another for a moment, both frozen and fearful.

Phil’s eye glance from the cat to the open window. There’s little tiny paw prints across the window ledge and along the counter, smudged against the condensation left there from the shower.

The cat is unmoving still, looking up at Phil with big round yellow eyes.

Phil isn’t sure if it’ll dart back out the window or maybe hide inside the apartment if he moves.

So he crouches down, his knees make a cracking sound as he goes and he winces, making the cat jump almost.

“Hey,” he says in a gentle tone. “Hello. What are you doing in here?”

The cat is watching him still, it’s little chest puffs up and down with rapid breaths. Phil can’t help but feel sorry for it. 

He holds out a hand towards it.

“I’m not gonna hurt ya,” he coos, rubbing his fingers together as if to get it’s attention. “C’mon.”

The cat takes a tentative step forward. It lifts its paw, touches the ground with a little tab before it takes a few more steps forward.

“Good kitty,” Phil says in a quiet voice. “Come on now.”

The cat gulps before it makes a little squeaking noise.

Phil assumes it must be scared, and it only makes him want to scoop the thing up and hold it even more.

“S’alright,” Phil says, stretching his arm out further. “You’re safe.”

The cat closes the gap between them and it’s face brushes up against his knuckles.

It pauses to sniff around his hand before nudging up against him again, this time with another little squeak and a purr.

Phil giggles, letting his hand run over the top of the cats head ever so gently.

The cat seems to enjoy it, pushing up into his palm and nuzzling into him.

“Aw,” Phil smiles. “Is that nice?”

The cat seems to understand, like some weird psychic connection and stops to peer up at him.

It must attempt to make another squeaking sound but it simply opens and closes its mouth and no noise comes out. 

Phil frowns. “What’s wrong?”

The cat nudges his hand again with its head and makes a low sound this time.

Phil watches the poor cat, pushing against him, a skinny little thing. He pulls his hand away and there’s little black hairs scattered across his palm.

“You’re hungry,” Phil says as he stands up.

The cat squeaks again.

“I don’t have any cat food,” he says as he walks to the kitchen. “But I bet there’ll be something you like in here.”

He turns his head to peer down and finds himself grinning from ear to ear when he realises he’s being followed.

*

“You cannot keep him.”

Dan’s voice is stern and serious through the speaker. There’s not much noise on the end of the line and Phil can picture him hauled up in his grandmother's tiny guest room - the one with the frilly pink curtains and matching bed sheets.

“Dan, he’s no harm,” Phil sighs. He looks down at the other end of the sofa where said cat is curled up. 

After a big meal of ham left over in the fridge he’d followed Phil in here, someplace warm where he could snuggle up and fall asleep.

And that’s exactly what he did.

“Phil,” Dan says, his voice cutting through his thoughts. “You’re literally allergic, remember?”

Phil does remember. In fact, he’s only  _ just  _ remembering. He feels more excited than he just did.

“Yeah!” He exclaims. The cat flinches for a moment before laying back down. He lowers his voice, watching the animal sleep peacefully.

“And I haven’t felt bad all day,” he says proudly, sniffing his nose as if to prove how well he can breathe out of it.

He hears Dan sigh and a squeak of a bed. Phil can just picture the way he’s probably flopped back onto it.

“What about the landlord?” He asks.

Phil has to chew on that for a moment. 

“We’ll work a way around it. He might not even know.”

Dan does a half laugh.

“And is this cat of yours toilet trained?”

Phil tucks his legs underneath him.

“No?” He says, voice unsure.

“Well how are you gonna explain the cat shit up the walls when we want our deposit back?”

Phil groans, loud enough to cut Dan off for a moment so he doesn’t have to hear that patronising tone of his. He doesn’t mean it of course; Dan has a lot of good points.

All Phil is saying is that his are much, much better.

“Phil, babe, we don’t even know who’s cat he is,” Dan says after some time, obviously being able to sense the frustration in Phil’s silence.

“We can take him to the vet,” Phil suggest. It’s not a terrible idea, he doesn’t understand why Dan’s being so mean.

“Phil,” Dan says again. It sounds like he’s about to start ranting again, acting like he’s right and Phil’s wrong but he must catch himself because he stops and takes a breath.

“Phil,” Dan says, softer and more patient this time. “Even if he didn’t have a home, and we could afford to take him in, we don’t even know how to look after a cat, let alone a stray that has not training.”

Phil glances over at him. He’s all tucked in on himself, curled up in a tight ball that he looks more like a big fluffy cushion than a breathing, living creature.

He sighs. He wishes Dan was here for himself then maybe he could have his opinion swayed.

“It can’t be hard, can it? Youtube videos’ll teach us and Bry is good with cats. It can’t be so difficult, Dan.”

He knows he’s pleading a little bit here but he doesn’t care. He feels it in his gut that it was destiny for this cat to come through his bathroom window today. Destiny that he had a enough ham in his fridge to feed it and destiny that he’s here now having this conversation.

He hears Dan let out a long sigh.

“You’re really adamant about this, aren’t you?” He says gruffly.

Phil smiles. He knows that tone. He knows Dan is about to give in, even if he doesn’t particularly want to.

“Of course I am. He’s so helpless and loving, Dan, you’ll see when you get home.”

There’s a long stretch of silence and for a moment Phil is worried about him suddenly changing his mind.

But Dan sighs again and it sounds like the sigh of defeat that has Phil grinning.

“Fine. We’ll take him to the vets and if he’s not chipped then… I guess he’s ours.”

Phil gets a fluttery feeling in his chest. “Oh my god, Dan you’re gonna love him. He’s the sweetest guy.”

He can hear Dan’s smile over the hum he makes, almost as if he’s trying not to smile at all.

“Just make sure he doesn’t piss or shit in the house at all. I might as well pick up some temporary things for him, hm?”

Phil feels giddy with excitement as he starts listing off the things he wants, even if they’re not an emergency purchase.

“God, you’re already bloody attached to this thing, aren’t you?”

Phil gasps. “Don’t call our baby a thing! He has a name you know.”

Dan chuckles. “Oh god. You’ve named him already? How is that fair?”

Phil is laughing again when he leans back against the sofa and watches over their new little fuzzy family member.

“You’ll love it,” Phil says. “Trust me.”

“Go on then,” he hears Dan say.

Phil watches the little up and down movements of slow and shallow breathing. An ear twitches and he almost smiles in his sleep.

He’s theirs now. Once a surprise on the bathroom floor and now part of the family.

“Jiji,” Phil tells him. “His name is Jiji.”

**Author's Note:**

> come say hi on tumblr !! @watergator


End file.
